Chief Minister Pramod Sawant’s elaborate Independence Day speech had all the makings of a ‘feel-good’ moment and warmed the cockles of every Goan heart. The religious harmony showcased while citing “one nation, one emotion, one identity” brought out a Sawant unheard of in recent times. These lines could strike a chord when there were apprehensions that the State was steadily moving towards communal discord with ‘forced’ religious conversions becoming a subject of a raging debate. “We have shown that Goa is special, and we will always keep our unity intact in the future as well” are delicate lines that infused some sense of independence on the till-now perplexed citizen.
The proposal of identifying “aspirational villages” - six in North Goa and 10 in South Goa is welcome and will go a long way in localizing sustainable development goals. Another striking highlight of Sawant’s speech was his call to newly elected sarpanchas, panchas, and NGOs to come together and support the government and appeal to the general public to protect the environment. This outreach has come against an increasing trust deficit between panchayats, activists on one side, and the government on the other. And suddenly, one is left wondering if the government had a change of heart given the pitched battles that were fought on environmental issues.
The thought of naming government schools after freedom fighters sounded innovative, but the idea comes at a time when many such schools are on the verge of closure or are being merged with each other. Perhaps, a worthy honour to freedom fighters and a more thoughtful way to bestow recognition on them would be to raise the benchmark of schools first. Renaming schools in the given scenario is an exercise in futility.
Interestingly, the CM claimed that Goa became the first State in India to achieve 100% Har Ghar Jal certification, a statement that was swiftly endorsed by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat with a congratulatory tweet.
Cent per cent water connectivity in Goa is a myth and a concept that is too hollow. Goa’s ground story on water exposes the emptiness of claims. It’s a sorry state of affairs that remote areas of Pirla and Cavrem-Pirla in Sanguem taluka have no connectivity even though the scenic Selaulim water dam is nearby. Water taps are yet to reach interior Canacona villages besides areas like Cotigao, Gaondongrim, Shrishthal, Agonda, and Loliem-Polem. Sourcing water is a painful exercise in Poinguinim villages like Marlim-Tirval, Kharegal, Chiplem, Badegal, Khalshi, Tirvonn, Khawat, Kudal and Galiem. Cut into Bardez, and the water woes continue even during monsoons. Places like Siolim, Mapusa, and Morjim have had a history of water shortages. There are several villages in Sattari where people have come to the streets demanding a regular water supply.
So, how does this certification help Goa’s cause, or are we to believe that this honour is to satiate a political ego? It is a shame that the State is basking in an achievement that Goans themselves cannot comprehend.
